A method for providing visual effects to a decorative pattern, a control unit and a system for in-line treatment of thread

ABSTRACT

A method for providing visual effects to a decorative thread pattern, is provided. The method includes determining an object to be produced as such decorative thread pattern, determining a thread arrangement comprising a plurality of consecutive thread portions, each thread portion having a thread portion direction, wherein the entire thread arrangement corresponds to said object to be produced, determining at least one visual effect of said object to be produced, said visual effect being associated with a set of thread portions of said thread arrangement and having a direction being different from at least one thread portion direction of the set of thread portions, and determining a colouring scheme for a specific thread such that the visual effect is obtained when production of the decorative thread pattern, using said thread according to said thread arrangement, is performed. A control unit is also provided.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The instant application is a U.S. National Stage application of andclaims priority to PCT/SE2019/050791, filed on Aug. 27, 2019, which is aPCT application of and claims priority to SE Application No. 1851091-7,filed on Sep. 15, 2018, the subject matter of both aforementionedapplications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method and a device for providingvisual effects to a decorative thread pattern. In particular, thepresent invention relates to methods and devices for providing colouringshifts of e.g. embroidery.

BACKGROUND

Typically, decorative thread patterns such as embroidery extend over aspecified, or predetermined surface. The thread pattern may in the caseof embroidery be formed by various stitching techniques, such asstraight stitches, satin stitches, or different kinds of fill stitches.In order to provide a change in colour of the thread pattern, threads ofdifferent colours may be used. As one thread, having a first specifiedcolour, is used for some stitches while another thread, having a secondspecified colour, is used for other stitches it is possible to provide athread pattern having colour shifts.

In order to eliminate the obvious drawbacks of the requirement ofmultiple threads of different colours, the present applicant has filedseveral patent applications on the technique of in-line colouring ofthread, such as WO2016204687 and WO2016204686. Although the proposedsolutions provide improvements in terms of colour quality and alsoreduces the complexity of the associated thread consuming device, itwould be advantageous if the general principle of in-line colouring ofthread could be modified to also provide improved colouring shifts inthe embroidered pattern.

SUMMARY

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a solutionovercoming the disadvantages of prior art. Especially, an object of thepresent invention is to improve the quality and versatility ofgraphical, decorative thread patterns. Existing thread consumingdevices, such as embroidery machines, knitting machines, etc. allrequire threads of different pre-defined colours to create amulti-colour object. These objects are very often trying to resembleimages or image-like patterns; due to the limitation in thread colours,the final result is often poor. Therefore, there is a great desire touse instant coloured threads for representing graphical images.

According to a first aspect, a method for providing visual effects to adecorative thread pattern is provided. The method comprises i)determining an object to be produced as such decorative thread pattern,ii) determining a thread arrangement comprising a plurality ofconsecutive thread portions, each thread portion having a thread portiondirection, wherein the entire thread arrangement corresponds to saidobject to be produced, iii) determining at least one visual effect ofsaid object to be produced, said visual effect being associated with aset of thread portions of said thread arrangement and having a directionbeing different from at least one thread portion direction of the set ofthread portions, and iv) determining a colouring scheme for a specificthread such that the visual effect is obtained when production of thedecorative thread pattern, using said thread according to said threadarrangement, is performed.

Normally, the set of thread portions are aligned in a single direction(or at least as a group they can be considered to have a generaldirection), and the direction of the visual effect is different fromthis general direction.

In an embodiment, the method further comprises a step of providingin-line colouring of the thread in accordance with the colouring schemeduring production of the decorative thread pattern. This is advantageousin that the entire method may be performed in-line with a running threadconsuming device.

The visual effect may e.g. be a gradient, stripes, mottling, or acombination thereof. Other visual effects are also possible within thescope of this specification.

In an embodiment, the visual effect is a continuous change in colour,brightness, and/or saturation, or a combination thereof.

The colouring scheme may be determined by associating a first set ofthread portions with a first colour, and a second set of thread portionswith a second colour.

In an embodiment, the colouring scheme is determined by associating aninitial thread portion with a first colour, a final thread portion witha second colour, and determining a colour shift from the first colour tothe second colour along the thread portions in between the initialthread portion and the final thread portion.

The colour shift may be continuous such that the visual effect appearsto be linear.

The colour shift may in other embodiments be continuous, but in a mannersuch that the visual effect appears to be non-linear.

The decorative thread pattern may be an embroidery; for such embodimentthe thread arrangement is a stitch pattern, and the plurality ofconsecutive thread portions is a plurality of consecutive stitches.

The decorative thread pattern may be a knitted fabric; for suchembodiment the thread arrangement is a stitch pattern, and the pluralityof consecutive thread portions is a plurality of consecutive stitches.

The decorative thread pattern may be a woven fabric; for such embodimentthe thread arrangement is a weave pattern, and the plurality ofconsecutive thread portions is a plurality of consecutive interlacingbetween a warp and a weft.

The decorative thread pattern may be a sewn fabric; for such embodimentthe thread arrangement is a stitch pattern, and the plurality ofconsecutive thread portions is a plurality of consecutive stitches.

The decorative thread pattern may be a tufted fabric; for suchembodiment the thread arrangement is a tuft pattern, and the pluralityof consecutive thread portions is a plurality of consecutive tuft piles.

According to a second aspect, a control unit is provided. The controlunit is configured to receive information of at least one visual effectof an object to be produced as a decorative thread pattern. Thedecorative thread pattern comprises a thread arrangement comprising aplurality of consecutive thread portions, each thread portion having athread portion direction, wherein the visual effect is associated with aset of thread portions of said thread arrangement and having a directionbeing different from at least one thread portion direction of the set ofthread portions. The control unit is further configured to receive acolouring scheme for a thread, and to control a treatment unit toperform in-line colouring of the thread such that the visual effect isobtained when production of the decorative thread pattern, using saidthread according to said thread arrangement, is performed.

According to a third aspect, a system for in-line treatment of threadfor use with a thread consuming device is provided. The system comprisesa treatment unit being configured to dispense one or more colouringsubstances onto the at least one thread when activated; and a controlunit according to the second aspect, being configured to transmit acontrol signal to the treatment unit based on the determined colouringscheme.

Definitions

Thread consuming device is in this context any apparatus, which in useconsumes thread. It may e.g. be an embroidery machine, weaving machine,sewing machine, knitting machine, a tufting machine, a thread windingmachine or any other thread consuming apparatus, which may benefit fromin-line colouring of an associated thread.

Thread is in this context a flexible elongate member or substrate, beingthin in width and height direction, and having a longitudinal extensionbeing significantly greater than the longitudinal extension of any partsof the system described herein, as well as than its width and heightdimensions. Typically, a thread may consist of a plurality of pliesbeing bundled or twisted together. The term thread thus includes a yarn,wire, strand, filament, etc. made of various different materials such asglass fibre, wool, cotton, synthetic materials such as polymers, metals,or e.g. a mixture of wool, cotton, polymer, or metal.

Within this specification, all references to upstream and/or downstreamshould be interpreted as relative positions during normal operation ofthe thread consuming device, i.e. when the device is operating to treatan elongated substrate, such as a thread, continuously moving throughthe device in a normal operating direction. Hence, an upstream componentis arranged such that a specific part of the thread passes it before itpasses a downstream component.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will be described in the followingdescription of the present invention; reference being made to theappended drawings which illustrate non-limiting examples of how theinventive concept can be reduced into practice.

FIG. 1a is a schematic view of a system for in-line treatment of threadaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 1b is a perspective view of a system having a thread consumingdevice and a treatment unit according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a substrate to be used with the systemaccording to FIGS. 1a -b.

FIG. 3a is a schematic view of an example of a decorative threadpattern,

FIG. 3b is a schematic view of another example of a decorative threadpattern, and

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a method according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Starting in FIG. 1a a schematic view of system 10 for in-line colouringof a thread is shown. The system 10 comprises a treatment unit, i.e. acolouring unit 100 for dispensing one or more colouring substances ontoat least one thread. The system 10 further comprises a control unit 110,for use with at least one thread consuming device 15, which may e.g. bein the form of an embroidery machine, a weaving machine, a sewingmachine, a knitting machine, or a tufting machine. As will be furtherexplained in the following, the thread consuming device 15 is capable ofproducing a decorative thread pattern.

Now turning to FIG. 1b the thread consuming device 15 is exemplified asan embroidery machine, here illustrated as a single-head embroiderymachine, being equipped with a treatment unit 100 and a control unit110. The embroidery machine comprises a moveable stage 2 b carrying thefabric or substrate to be embroidered. During operation the moveablestage 2 b is controlled to rapidly change its position in the X and Ydirection (i.e. the horizontal plane).

The treatment unit 100 allows the embroidery machine 15 to operatewithout the provision of uniquely pre-coloured threads, as is requiredfor conventional embroidery machines. Instead, the treatment unit 100provides in-line colouring of a thread 20 in accordance withpredetermined colouring patterns, such that a coloured embroidery can beproduced. The treatment unit 100 thus replaces individual thread reelsas is present in prior art systems.

The thread consuming device 15 is preferably arranged to provide athread arrangement 22 into a substrate 30. This is schematically shownin FIG. 2, where the thread 20 is applied to the substrate 30 by aplurality of consecutive thread portions 24. The thread arrangement 22corresponds to a decorative thread pattern to be produced, such as anembroidered object. Depending on particular details of the threadconsuming device 15, the thread arrangement 22 may be a stitch pattern(such as in the case of an embroidery machine, a knitting machine, or asewing machine), a weave pattern (such as in the case of a weavingmachine), or a tuft pattern (such as in the case of a tufting machine).

A plurality of thread portions 24 forms an object 26 as a decorativethread pattern onto the substrate 30. The object 26 may be a specificpattern, figure, shape, text, emblem, symbol, or the like. The object 26may e.g. be an embroidered logotype or a company name.

As mentioned earlier, a control unit 110 is in connection with thethread consuming device 15 as well as to the treatment unit 100. Inorder to allow for visual effects of the decorative thread pattern to beproduced, the control unit 110 is configured to initially determine anobject to be produced as a decorative thread pattern. Visual effects maye.g. include a gradient, stripes, mottling, etc. More specifically,typical effects which are used with the present invention include i)colour change in respect to absolute thread length (such as 3 cm red, 23cm green), ii) colour change in respect to relative thread length (suchas 30% red, 70% green), iii) solid colour, iv) gradient, v) noise, vi)manipulation (such as change in hue, tone, brightness, contrast, etc.),vii) mix (i.e. merging of different swatches). Each one of these effectscan be repeated for a number of times within the area of the certaineffect.

Within this context, the term “noise” relates to one or more colours towhich some kind of manipulation is added, e.g. saturation or brightness,where the manipulation is a fractal, Gaussian, or other. The term“swatch” relates to a setting that will generate a specific dispensingpattern, of the coating substance, for a certain design segment. Thedesign segment may be a part of a pattern, figure, shape, text, emblem,symbol, colour gradient, or the like. A swatch may e.g. be a solid, agradient, or a transformation from a solid which after a certain lengthtransforms to a gradient between two colours.

From this object, which e.g. may be a graphical representation of anitem, an image, a logotype, etc., the control unit 110 is furtherconfigured to determine a thread arrangement comprising a plurality ofconsecutive thread portions, each thread portion having a thread portiondirection, wherein the entire thread arrangement corresponds to saidobject to be produced. Importantly, the control unit 110 may not becapable of determining such thread arrangement by its own structure andconfiguration, but the control unit 110 may in some embodiments receivethread arrangement data from another control unit. For example, thethread consuming device 15 may be provided by a first supplier, whilethe treatment unit 100 is provided by a second supplier. In such casethe control unit 110 may be provided with the treatment unit 100, whilebeing configured to receive thread arrangement data from a control unitof the thread consuming device 15.

The purpose of the control unit 110 is to control in-line colouring ofthe thread such that the visual effect appears on the object to beproduced. During normal operation, the control unit receivesinformation, or data, representing at least one visual effect of saidobject to be produced. The visual effect may in one example be a colourgradient, or any other colour effect as mentioned above. The visualeffect is preferably associated with a set of thread portions of thethread arrangement. In a preferred embodiment, the visual effect has adirection being different from at least one thread portion direction ofthe set of thread portions. The control unit 110 is further configuredto determine a colouring scheme for a thread such that the visual effectis obtained when production of the decorative thread pattern, using saidthread according to said thread arrangement, is performed. Determiningof the colouring scheme may be performed remote from the control unit110, such that the control unit 110 receives the desired colouringscheme. In such case, the control unit 110 is configured to convert thereceived colouring scheme to a control signal for the treatment unit100. However, since there are usually several different control unitsinvolved with in-line colouring during thread consumption (i.e. onecontrol unit 110 to control the treatment unit 100, one control unit tocontrol the thread consuming device, one control unit to convert imagedata to stitch pattern, etc.), the exact distribution of tasks betweenthese control units is not important.

Further details of the technical concept will now be described withreference to FIGS. 3a -b. Starting in FIG. 3a , a decorative threadpattern is intended to be produced by means of a thread arrangement 22.The thread arrangement 22 comprises a plurality of consecutive threadportions 24, each thread portion 24 being represented by an embroiderystitch. The stitches 24 are made in sequence, and each stitch has aspecific direction; in the shown example, where embroidery is performedfrom left to right, the first stitch 24 a has a direction D1 essentiallyupwards, while the last stitch 24 b has a direction D2 essentiallydownwards. The shown example may in some specific application beintended to change colour; starting with a black area 25 a at the farleft, to a white area 25 b at the far right, via a smooth colour changearea 25 c in the center portion of the thread arrangement 22. The colourgradient is thereby occurring in the direction D3, as indicated by thearrow.

Instead of splitting the thread arrangement 22 into separate rows of aunique colour, and thereby achieve a resulting colour change from blackto white via discrete grey intermediates, a set of thread portions 24,or stitches, is determined which will cover the visual effect part 25 cof the thread arrangement 22. In the shown example, the set of stitchesis covering the stitches from 24 c to 24 d.

The control unit 110 is capable of transmitting a control signal to thetreatment unit 100, such that the desired colouring of the thread isperformed. Typically, such control signal may be configured in eitherone of two ways. In a first option, the control unit 110 receives ordetermines a specific colour for each stitch between the start and endstitches 24 c-d, such that the transition from black to white occurs inthe desired manner. Using such control strategy, it is required to knowdetails of the amount of thread used for each stitch.

Instead, as a second option, the control unit 110 determines only thestart colour at the start stitch 24 c and the final colour at the endstitch 24 d, and controls the thread colouring such that the transitionfrom black to white occurs in the desired manner. Using such controlstrategy, it is not required to know details of the amount of threadused for each stitch but instead the colour change is “floating”. Forsuch embodiment the total length of the thread is determined, i.e. thelength of the thread required to perform the thread portions of thevisual effect. In one preferred embodiment, the colouring is performedfor a thread portion exceeding the determined total length; the laststitches are then performed such that they will not be visible.

The second alternative can be modified to further improve the visualeffects of a decorative thread pattern to be produced. In the exampleshown in FIG. 3b , a visual effect in the form of a colour gradient isdesired. The visual effect should be a colour shift from red (at thebottom) to white (at the top) via a gradient in the direction D4. In theshown example, production of the thread pattern starts at the bottom(the red colour) and proceeds upwards.

The control unit 110 may in this embodiment be configured to determinethe amount of thread that will be used for each row of the threadarrangement 22; as the required thread amount is decreasing as thethread arrangement grows upwards, a linear colour change of the threadwill not likely provide a desired result. Instead, the control unit 110may be capable of compensating the colour change rate based on therequired thread amount of each row, such that the colour change isinitially slower over the length of the thread. Thereby a linear colourchange of the thread arrangement 22 is obtained in the direction D4.

Now turning to FIG. 4 a schematic view of a method 200 is shown. Themethod 200 is performed in order to provide one or more visual effectsto a decorative thread pattern, such as knitted fabric, embroidery, etc.as has already been described in the foregoing.

Starting with an initial step 202, an object to be produced as suchdecorative thread pattern is determined. In practice, such step 202 maybe performed by loading an image or other graphical representation intoa memory of a control unit, such as the control unit 110 as describedherein or another control unit of a remote device, such as a computerhaving a program for loading images and to produce a stitch file fromsuch images. In a following step 204 a thread arrangement is determined,comprising a plurality of consecutive thread portions. This step 204 maye.g. correspond to creating a stitch file, corresponding to theembroidery to be produced. In the thread arrangement, each threadportion has a thread portion direction, and typically the entire threadarrangement corresponds to the decorative thread pattern to be produced.

The method 200 proceeds by performing a step 206 of determining one ormore visual effects of the object to be produced and associating thevisual effect with a set of thread portions, or stitches. Preferably,the direction of the visual effect is different, such as perpendicular,to the direction of the associated stitches.

Within this step 206, the method 200 preferably performs a step 208 ofsetting a start position for the visual effect, i.e. a start stitch, aswell as a step 210 of setting an end position for the visual effect,i.e. an end stitch. Once the visual effect has been determined in termsof its start and end position, the method 200 performs a step 212 ofdetermining a colouring scheme for a thread such that the visual effectis obtained when production of the decorative thread pattern, using thethread according to the thread arrangement, is performed.

This step 212 is performed by determining a suitable colouring of thethread as the thread passes the treatment unit 100 on its way to formingpart of the thread arrangement. In a final step 214, the method 200performs actual production of the visual effect by performing in-linecolouring of the thread during operation of the thread consuming device15 such that the coloured thread is handled in the desired manner, i.e.such that the decorative thread pattern, with its visual effect, isobtained.

Although the present invention has been described above with referenceto specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to thespecific form set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only bythe accompanying claims.

In the claims, the term “comprises/comprising” does not exclude thepresence of other elements or steps. Additionally, although individualfeatures may be included in different claims, these may possiblyadvantageously be combined, and the inclusion in different claims doesnot imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/oradvantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude aplurality. The terms “a”, “an”, “first”, “second” etc do not preclude aplurality. Reference signs in the claims are provided merely as aclarifying example and shall not be construed as limiting the scope ofthe claims in any way.

What is claimed is: 1-15. (canceled)
 16. A method for providing visualeffects to a decorative thread pattern, comprising: determining anobject to be produced as such decorative thread pattern, determining athread arrangement comprising a plurality of consecutive threadportions, each thread portion having a thread portion direction, whereinthe entire thread arrangement corresponds to said object to be produced,determining at least one visual effect of said object to be produced,said visual effect being associated with a set of thread portions ofsaid thread arrangement and having a direction being different from atleast one thread portion direction of the set of thread portions, anddetermining a colouring scheme for a specific thread such that thevisual effect is obtained when production of the decorative threadpattern, using said thread according to said thread arrangement, isperformed.
 17. The method according to claim 16, further comprisingproviding in-line colouring of said thread in accordance with saidcolouring scheme during production of the decorative thread pattern. 18.The method according to claim 16, wherein said visual effect is agradient, stripes, mottling, colour change in respect to absolute threadlength, colour change in respect to relative thread length, solidcolour, noise, manipulation, mix, or a combination thereof.
 19. Themethod according to claim 16, wherein said visual effect is a continuouschange in colour, brightness, hue, and/or saturation.
 20. The methodaccording to claim 16, wherein the colouring scheme is determined byassociating a first set of thread portions with a first colour, and asecond set of thread portions with a second colour.
 21. The methodaccording to claim 16, wherein the colouring scheme is determined byassociating an initial thread portion with a first colour, a finalthread portion with a second colour, and determining a colour shift fromthe first colour to the second colour along the thread portions inbetween the initial thread portion and the final thread portion.
 22. Themethod according to claim 21, wherein the colour shift is continuoussuch that the visual effect appears to be linear.
 23. The methodaccording to claim 21, wherein the continuous colour shift isnon-linear.
 24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the decorativethread pattern is an embroidery, the thread arrangement is a stitchpattern, and the plurality of consecutive thread portions is a pluralityof consecutive stitches.
 25. The method according to claim 16, whereinthe decorative thread pattern is a knitted fabric, the threadarrangement is a stitch pattern, and the plurality of consecutive threadportions is a plurality of consecutive stitches.
 26. The methodaccording to claim 16, wherein the decorative thread pattern is a wovenfabric, the thread arrangement is a weave pattern, and the plurality ofconsecutive thread portions is a plurality of consecutive interlacingbetween a warp and a weft.
 27. The method according to claim 16, whereinthe decorative thread pattern is a sewn fabric, the thread arrangementis a stitch pattern, and the plurality of consecutive thread portions isa plurality of consecutive stitches.
 28. The method according to claim16, wherein the decorative thread pattern is a tufted fabric, the threadarrangement is a tuft pattern, and the plurality of consecutive threadportions is a plurality of consecutive tuft piles.
 29. A control unitconfigured to: receive information of at least one visual effect of anobject to be produced as a decorative thread pattern, said decorativethread pattern comprising a thread arrangement comprising a plurality ofconsecutive thread portions, each thread portion having a thread portiondirection, wherein said visual effect is associated with a set of threadportions of said thread arrangement and having a direction beingdifferent from at least one thread portion direction of the set ofthread portions, receive a colouring scheme for a thread, and control atreatment unit to perform in-line colouring of the thread such that thevisual effect is obtained when production of the decorative threadpattern, using said thread according to said thread arrangement, isperformed.
 30. A system for in-line treatment of thread for use with athread consuming device, comprising: a treatment unit being configuredto dispense one or more colouring substances onto the at least onethread when activated; and a control unit according to claim 29, beingconfigured to transmit a control signal to said treatment unit based onthe determined colouring scheme.